Spoke tightening and upsetting device



April 23, 193 w. M. KEITH SPOKE TIGHTENING AND UPSETTING DEVICE Filed June 13, 1952 MY/la l (e f/1 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 23, 1935 r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPOKE TIGHT'ENING AND UPSETTING DE CE William M. Keith, Youngstown, Ohio Application June 13,1932, Serial No. 616,782

' 4 le ms- (01. 78- V 7 This invention relates .to spoke tightening the lower ja plate members it d H e'p odevices 7 vided with concave inner'surfaces l2 which are The principal object of this invention is to pro-.- rra d in rder to form a ur c amp n m s vide a device for tightening steel spokes for When vfulletiellirlg upon a Speke' Tod l the wheels process of upsetting the same. It will be seen A further object of the invention is to provide at e upp r clampi g members 1 and 8 are a device that may be conveniently and inexpenalso provided W th concave inner su fa s 53 sively usedn tighteni t 1 s k i h l which are serrated. It will also be seen that these without removing the spokes from the wheels. upper Clamping members 7 d 3, are d c y 10 A still further object is to provide a device for b ve t e lower j w plate members l6 and H shortening a metal rod or spoke by heating the n rder to rip a p e d (See Figssame and then upsetting or causing a portion to 1 and 2.) become thickened in order to reduce the length y r rri g to Fi e 1 i iwi-ll b seen that the of t spoke or metal mi oppositely disposed depended arms I and 2 are 15 Many automobile wheels are now on themarket p ided Wi h hor n l frame members l5 and 15 which are of the wire wheel type. Many of these ,1 Sp iV ly- T ese frame members I 5 and I6 wire wheels are so constructed that the spokes a e a so f rm d at right angles t t opp it y cannot be easily removed or replaced. It often pos d depended arms I and 2. By referrin o happens that a wheel may be trued up by the Figure 1 it will be seen that the frame member i5 adjusting of the lengths of the spokes. With my is provided with'a channel I! and a bridge por-.- 20 device it is an easy matter to tighten spokes with- 131011 cu d t the pp urface of the out removing the same from the wheeL bridge portion l8 there is provided a manipulating With the foregoing and other objects in view lug l9. It will also be seen that the frame memwhich will appear as the description proceeds, the s formed- 50 8 be Blidably maintained invention resides inthe combination and arrangevWithin the Channel and is D d W h a 5 ment of parts and the details of construction p d y e d n manipulating lug Which hereinafter described and claimed, it being unders oppositely disposed to the manipulating 11% 9. stood that changes in the precise embodiment of It will also be seen that in order to hold the frame the invention herein disclosed, can be made within member IS in slidable relation to the channel ll the scope of what is claimed, without departing there is p ov d d a y 2| Which is positioned in 30 from the spirit of the invention. a key slot 22 formed on the frame member 16. The invention is illustrated in the accompany- This key 2| has its outer ends 23 bent outwardly ing drawing, whereinzagainst a surface of the outer ends of the frame I Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device member l5.

with clamping screws removed. By referring to Figure'2 it will be seen that 35 Figure 2 is a to la view of the device. the spoke or rod I4 is held in a gripped position Figure 3 is a cross section taken on line 3-3 in the device. It will also be seen that the lower of Figure 2. V jaw plate members Ill and II are wedge shaped Figure 4 is a detail view in perspectiv of an and each are provided with a depended shoulder 40 upper clamping member, 24 in order that the lower jaw plate members 40 Figure -5 is a detail perspective View of a lower Ill and II may not be carried outwardly on injaw plate member showing bottom side up. clined surfaces 25 formed on the upper surface By referring to Figure 1 of the drawing it will of the jaw members 3 and 4. It will also be seen be seen that there is provided a, pair of oppositely that these 10Wer jaw plate members l0 and II disposed depended "arms 1 and 2. These deare held in a movable and detachable relation 45 pended arms I and 2 are provided with jaw memto the jaw members 3 and4 by means of a screw bers 3 and 4. It will also be seen that the op- 26, the outer end of which functions in an elonpositely disposed depended arms I and 2 are progated opening 21 in the jaw members 3 and 4. vided with recesses 5 and 6 on their front faces It will also be seen by referring to Figures 2 60 for the reception of upper clamping members I and 4 that the upper clamping members 1 and and 8. These upper clamping members I and 8 8 are held in a desirable gripping relation to the. are held loosely in position by means of shackles 9. spoke or rod l4 due to set screws 28 so that thrust It will also be seen that there is provided lower ends 29 contact with wedge shaped upper ends jaw plate members l0 and H which also function 30 and inclined end surfaces 3| of the upper Within the recesses 5 and 6. It will be seen that clamping members 1 and 8. The wedge shaped 55 upper ends 30 hold the upper clamping members I and 8 from being carried outwardly when the spoke or rod I4 is being shortened by applying heat at a point 32 while the oppositely disposed depended arms I and 2 and connecting parts are caused to be moved inwardly towards each other.

It will also be seen by referring to Figure 4 that due to the inclined end surfaces 3| the thrust ends 29 of the set screws 28 hold the upper clamping members 7 and 8 firmly against the bottoms of the recesses 5 and 6. This is important due to the fact that the shackles 9 are not substantially strong enough to hold the upper clamping members I and 8 in a desired position nor is it desirable to have the shackles 9 fitting tightly as it would make it difficult to set the device easily to the spoke or rod M in the upsetting or shortening of the same.

In order to operate the device there may be provided manipulating levers 33- which are attached to the manipulating lugs I9 and 20 by means of pivot pins 23. It is understood that the manipulating levers 33 may be of simple or compound lever construction in order to carry the manipulating lugs l9 and 20 outwardly from each other in order to bring the oppositely disposed depended arms I and 2 inwardly towards each other in order to cause a shortening of the spoke or rod l4.

What I claim is: p

1. In a spoke tightening and upsetting device, the combination of two frame members, a channel formed in one frame member in order to slidably maintain the other frame member therein, a manipulating lug formed at one end of each frame member, said manipulating lugs being positioned in opposite relation to each other and at right angles to said frame member, a downwardly extending arm formed on each of said frame members at the opposite end from said manipulating lug, a jaw positioned at the lower end of each depended arm, said downwardly extending arms being positioned in opposite relation to each other and at right angles to said frame members and to the path of relative movement of said frame members and a line passing through said jaws, a pair of manipulating levers functioning with said manipulating lugs, said depended arms carrying said jaws being in alignment with said manipulating lugs in order that the downwardly extending arms carrying said jaws may be inserted into a wheel for the purpose of tightening and upsetting spokes therein.

2. In a spoke tightening and upsetting device, the combination of two frame members, a channel formed in one frame member in order to slidably maintain the other frame member therein, a manipulating lug formed at one end of each frame member, said manipulating lugs being positioned in opposite relation to each other and at right angles to said frame member, manipulating levers secured to said manipulating lugs in a pivoted manner, a downwardly extending arm formed on each of said frame members at the opposite end from said manipulating lug, an adj ta iaw position d at the lower end of each depended arm, said downwardly extending arms being positioned in opposite relation to each other and at right angles to said frame members and to the path of relative movement of said frame members and a line passing through said jaws, said depended arms carrying said jaws being in alignment with said manipulating lugs in order that the downwardly extending arms carrying said jaws may be inserted into a wheel for the purpose of tightening and upsetting spokes therein.

3. In a non-electrical spoke tightening and upsetting device, the combination of two frame members, a channel formed in one frame member in order to slidably maintain the other frame member therein, a manipulating lug formed at one end of each frame member, said manipulating lugs being positioned in opposite relation to each other and at right angles to said frame member, manipulating levers secured to said manipulating lugs in a pivoted manner, a downwardly extending arm formed on each of said frame members at the opposite end from said manipulating lug, a jaw positioned at the lower end of each depended arm, said downwardly extending arms being positioned in opposite relation to each other and on the side of the frame member opposite from the side upon which the manipulating lugs are positioned and at right angles to said frame members and to the path of relative movement of said frame members and a line passing through said jaws, said depended arms carrying said jaws being in alignment with said manipulating lugs in order that the downwardly extending arms carrying said jaws may be inserted into a wheel for the purpose of tightening and upsetting spokes therein.

4. In a non-electrical spoke tightening and upsetting device, the combination of two frame members, a channel formed in one frame member in order to slidably maintain the other frame member therein, a key formed on one frame member and a key slot formed in the other frame member for the purpose of holding said frame members in an aligned slidable relation to each other, a ma nipulating lug formed at one end of each frame member, said manipulating lugs being positioned in opposite relation to each other and at right angles to said frame member, manipulating levers secured to said manipulating lugs in a pivoted manner, a downwardly extending arm formed on each of said frame members at the opposite end from said manipulating lug, a jaw positioned at the lower end of each depended arm, said downwardly extending arms being positioned in opposite relation to each other and on the side of the frame member opposite from the side upon which the manipulating lugs are positioned and at right angles to said frame members and to the path of relative movement of said frame members and a line passing through said jaws, said depended arms carrying said jaws being in alignment with said manipulating lugs in order that the downwardly extending arms carrying said jaws may be inserted into a wheel for the purpose of tightening and upsetting spokes therein.

WILLIAM M. KEITH. 

